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Harper Government Invests in Great Lakes Clean-Up

NIAGARA FALLS, ON, March 22, 2013 /CNW/ - Today,the Honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister, announced a
major investment under the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund to support
57 clean-up projects in officially designated Great Lakes Areas of
Concern.

"Today, as we mark United Nations World Water Day and this year's theme
of water cooperation, we reflect on the importance of our water
resources globally, and how to protect them," said Minister Kent. "Our
Government is working with many partners to protect the Great Lakes for
generations to come. This investment will help us continue to work
towards our goal of restoring water quality in all Canadian Great Lakes
Areas of Concern."

"Government of Canada programs are tackling the complex issues facing
the Great Lakes ecosystem. Since 2006, $538 million has been invested
in wastewater infrastructure in the watershed, including $379 million
for wastewater treatment projects. We have also announced $16 million
to address the re-occurrence of toxic and nuisance algae, and $17
million has been invested in a program to protect Canada's Great Lakes
against the threat of Asian carp," said the Hon. Rob Nicholson,
Canada's Minister of Justice and Member of Parliament for Niagara
Falls.

Since 1989, the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund has supported more than
900 partnered projects to help clean up areas where the environment and
water quality are severely degraded. Funded projects typically focus on
restoring fish and wildlife habitat and populations, cleaning up
contaminated sediment, and controlling pollution from municipal
wastewater, urban storm water and rural run-off.

One of the environmental hotspots that will benefit from this
$3,370,500 investment is the Niagara River Area of Concern where more
than $350,000 to support four local projects was provided. This
includes $245,000 for a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority water
quality and habitat improvement program. This project's activities
focus on installing fencing to keep livestock out of creeks, restoring
wetland and woodland habitats, and working with partners to coordinate
extensive water quality monitoring to help identify nutrient sources,
amounts and management strategies.

"With its unique resources, nestled between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario,
and transversed by the Niagara Escarpment, the Niagara Peninsula has
truly unique climatic and biotic zones that are unlike anywhere else in
North America," stated Bruce Timms, Chairman of the Niagara Peninsula
Conservation Authority Board. "We are proud of our partnership with
the Government of Canada, which has allowed us make significant strides
in improving water quality in the Niagara River Area of Concern."

For more information on the Government of Canada's efforts to protect
our Great Lakes, including the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund
administered by Environment Canada, please visit www.ec.gc.ca/greatlakes.

For more information and to view a backgrounder on this announcement,
please visit the Web site of Environment Canada at http://www.ec.gc.ca/.

SOURCE: Environment Canada

For further information:

For more information, please contact:

Mary Ann Dewey-Plante Director of Media Relations Office of the Minister of the Environment 819-997-1441